Feed-water heater



(No Model.)

P. M. LUDLOW. FEED WATER HEATER.

v llNiTen STATES PATENT OFFICE FRANCIS M. LUDLOW', OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

FEED-WATER HEATER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 357,934-, dated February 15, 1887.

Application filed April 19, 1886. Serial No. 199,556.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANCIS M. LUDLOW,

of the city of St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Feed-VaterHeaters, of which Vthe following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this speci.- iication, and in which- Figure l is a transverse section at l l, Fig. 2, showing parts broken away. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section at 2 2, Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a detail transverse section of a steam-boiler, showing the heating-helix applied thereto.

The feed-water from the force-pump first enters the bottom of a tubular heater and passes from the upper part thereof to a chamber in which is the helix, over which the water passes and isreceived in a chamber below, from which it passes upward through filtering material and then through a pipe leading to the boiler.

A is the pipe through which. water enters the waterchamber B at the bottom, and near one end of the said chamber.

C is a blow-off or discharge pipe for the chamber B.

D are diaphragms separating the waterchamber B from steam-chambers E and F. The two steam-chambers are connected by tubes G passing through the diaphragme D.

I-I is the opening in the head I, through which the exhaust-steam from the engine enters the chamber E, the steam passing through the tubes G into the chamber F, and any uncondensed steam escaping through the opening .I in the head K. In the upper part ofthe chamber F is a Coldwater jet-pipe, L, fed by a pipe, lli. I prefer to curve the jet-pipe in the same manner as the top of the chamber F. The pipe has a number of small perforations, through which the cold water passes, forming a iine spray forthe condensation of the steam in the chamber. f

I is a hand-hole in the head I, and K are hand-holes in the head K.

N is a pipe in communication with the lower parts of the chambers E and F and in communication with the suction-chamber of a pump, by which the water may be returned to the boiler or to any chamber of the feed-water heater.

`tubes will be heated by them.

(No model.)

The feed-water entering through the pipe A fills the chamber B and escapes th rough a pipe,

O, from the upper part of the chamber at the opposite end from the induction-pipe A. As the water gradually ascends in the chamberB it is heated by the tubes G, which causes the earthy particles to separate from therwater and settle in the bottom of the chamber B, the sediment being blown out from time to time through the blow-off pipe O.

It will be seen that the steam-tubes are all at a distance from l[he sides and the bottoni of the chamber B, so that the water at these parts will not receive direct heat from the tubes, while the water in proximity to the The consequence will be that the water surroundingthe tubes will ascend,while that at the sides will descend, forming a continuous circulation, which will insure the rapid heating of the water and prevent the accumulation of sediment on the tubes, thus keeping them in a condi,- tion for the free conduction of heat from the steam to the water.

B is aman-hole in the bottom of the chamber B, by which access may be had without removing the heads I or K.

B2 is a hand-hole in the top of the chamber B.

l? is a scun1-pan, which is placed on top of the upper tubes, G, to collect the scum.

The pan may be lremoved from the chamber through the handhole B2 and the scum emptied from thepan, or, asuitable pipe being attached, the scum can be blown off.

The eduction-pipe O extends to the upper end of the heating and filtering vessel Q, as shown in Figs. l and 2, or the upper part of the boiler Q', as seen in Fig. 3. The vessel Q is shown secured to the top of the horizontal heater by a iiange-joint; but there is no communication between their interiors except by the pipe O. The water from the pipe O falls upon the closed conical top of the steam-pipe B, upon which is supported the helix S. The helix is shown with four broad plates extending in coils around the pipe R, so nearly horizontal through the greater part that the water spreads in broad streams over them and flows down the whole length of the helix. The pipe R has numerous small holes for the passage of steam between the plates of the then by the live steam.

helix into the chamber T. The steam-pipe R receives steam directly from the boiler through a pipe, U. It will be seen that the steam-pipe It is placed centrally in the vessel Q, passingthrough awater-passage, V, leading from the upper chamber, T, to the lowerl chamber, X, which is beneath the annular lter Y. The iilter Y has a perforate metal bottom, Y', through which the Water ows, and after passing through the filtering material escapes through the pipe Z, leading to the steam-boiler.

Any mud settling in the chamber X may be got rid of through a blow-off pipe, a, having branches b leading to the lower parts of the chamber X.

X is a hand-hole in the side of the chamber X.

The chamber B and pipe O are full of water when the apparatus is in operation, and the Water lls the vessel Q up to about the bottom of the helix.

In the modification shown in Fig. 3 the helix is placed within the steam-space of the boiler Q or steam-drum, and of course the steam-pipe R is absent, as the helix is immersed in steam at a high temperature. Beneath the helix is a flaring receiver, c, with a vertical dischargespout, d, through which the feed-water and the scale-forming material precipitated therefrom flow from the helix to the lower part of the boiler. Thus it will be seen that the feedwater does not mix with the water in the upper part of the boiler.

It will be seen that in the use of the apparatus as shown in Figs. l and 2 the feed-water is first heated by the exhaust-steam and .A large proportion of the sediment is left in the chamber B, and almost, if not quite, all of the remainder in chamber X; but where all has not been removed the rest is taken out by the iilter.

It will be seen that the water in the chamber B will be agitated among the tubes, while in the side and bottom spaces,which are clear of tubes, the movement of the water is steady, so that thc sediment settles to the bottom of thechamber around the sides of the heatershell and away from the tubes.

I claim as my inventionl. In a feed-water heater, the combination, with a tank having induction and eduction ports, of heating-tubes passing through said tank a suitable distance from the sides and bottom thereof, so as to leave a clear space for the circulation of the water and the subsidence of foreign substances, the means for heating said tank: being entirely above the bottom thereof, and means for removing the sediment, substantially as set forth.

2. In a feed-Water heater, the combination, with a heated chamber and a water supply pipe discharging thereinto, of a helix upon which the water falls, the outer edges of the fins or blades of which said helix is constructed being Without upwardly-proj ecting iianges, in order that the water may be thrown off therefrom by the centrifugal force which it acquires in descending the helix, substantially as set forth.

3. In a feed-water heater, the combination of a heated settling-chamber, through which the Water passes, a second heated chamber, into which the water is subsequently discharged, and a helix within the last-named chamber, upon which the waterfalls, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination of the helix S with central steam-pipe with apertures for the passage of steam between the plates of the helix.

5. In a feed-Water heater, the combination, with an air-tight vessel having upper and lower chambers, of a passage connecting them, a filter between said chambers separated from the upper chamber and passage and in communication with the lower chamber by a perforated diaphragm, induction-openings for admitting water and steam to the upper chamber, an eductio'n-opening at the upper part of said filter, a blow-off in the lower chamber, and a helix in the upper chamber, substantially as and for the purpose'set forth.

6. The combination, in a vessel having an opening at top,ofan upper chamber containingl a helix, S, a lower chamber connected with the upper chamber by a passage, and having a blow-off pipe, and a filter connected with the lower chamber through a pe-rforate plate or gauze, and having discharge at the upper part.

7. In a feed-water heater, the combination, with the horizontal chamber B and the steamchambers E and F at the respective ends thereof, ofthe horizontal tubes G, connecting said steam-chambers, the perforated waterpipe L in the chamber F, and the pipe N, communicating with both of said steam-chambers, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

FRANCIS M. LUDLOW. Vitnesses:

SAML. KNIGHT, GEO. S. KNIGHT.

IOO 

